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A colorful illustration showing two women collaborating to lift a heavy woven basket filled with colorful fruit, demonstrating the act of mutual assistance.

ayudarla

ah-yoo-DAHR-lah

Verb (Infinitive + Pronoun)A1regular ar
to help her?Assisting a female person or a feminine noun object,to assist her?Providing aid or support
Also:to help it?Referring to a feminine object previously mentioned (e.g., 'the car,' 'la máquina')

Quick Reference

infinitiveayudar
gerundayudando
past Participleayudado

📝 In Action

Debemos ayudarla a terminar el proyecto.

A2

We must help her finish the project.

Es mi responsabilidad ayudarla con sus maletas.

A1

It is my responsibility to help her with her bags.

Pienso llamar a María para invitarla y así poder ayudarla.

B1

I plan to call María to invite her and thus be able to help her.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • asistirla (to assist her)
  • socorrerla (to rescue her)

Antonyms

  • abandonarla (to abandon her)
  • perjudicarla (to harm her)

Common Collocations

  • poder ayudarla – to be able to help her
  • intentar ayudarla – to try to help her

💡 Grammar Points

The 'Sticky' Pronoun Rule

When a verb is in its base form (the infinitive, like 'ayudar'), you attach the direct object pronoun ('la') directly to the end, forming one word. This means 'ayudar' + 'la' = 'ayudarla'.

Direct Object Pronoun

The 'la' part tells you that the person receiving the help is a singular female person, or a thing that Spanish considers feminine (like 'la mesa' or 'la casa').

❌ Common Pitfalls

Misplacement of the Pronoun

Mistake: "La necesito ayudar."

Correction: Necesito ayudarla. (Or: La necesito ayudar.) The preferred placement is to attach the pronoun when the verb is an infinitive following a conjugated verb (like 'necesitar').

⭐ Usage Tips

Choosing Placement

You have a choice! You can say 'Necesito ayudarla' (attached) OR 'La necesito ayudar' (placed before the conjugated verb). Both are correct, but attaching it is often smoother and more common in speech.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: ayudarla

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence correctly uses 'ayudarla'?

📚 More Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between 'ayudarla' and 'la ayuda'?

'Ayudarla' is the base verb form (infinitive) with the pronoun attached, meaning 'to help her.' You use it after another conjugated verb (e.g., 'Quiero ayudarla'). 'La ayuda' means 'She helps' (present tense conjugation) or 'The help' (noun), depending on context. If it's the verb, the pronoun 'la' comes before the conjugated verb: 'Yo la ayudo' (I help her).